UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The GLOBE is a Special Living Option for Schreyer Honors College Scholars interested in fostering respect for the world and its diverse people. Located on the renovated K floor of Simmons Hall, students living on the floor are committed to expanding on initiatives of the Honors College by coming together as globally minded Scholars.
The GLOBE’s uniqueness stems from its commitment to forming a close-knit community of individuals with a similar interest in contributing to international progress. In order to ensure all members of the floor remain active, this Special Living Option has a point system in place in which members earn points by attending events. Residents must have at least 10 points by the end of the semester, with the option of attending group discussions, guest professor events and food events.
Ellie Farber, the current president of The GLOBE and sophomore studying economics and history, had always been interested in global issues and loved to travel. She was also looking for a close-knit community where she could make friends during her first year, which encouraged her to apply after committing to Schreyer.
“I think one of the most important benefits from living in The GLOBE is the community, especially during your first year,” Farber said. “The close-knit community that The GLOBE formed with people from many different backgrounds definitely makes the floor feel like home.”
Entertainment and enrichment
As the president, Farber is responsible for planning different events in which residents can earn points. This has opened her eyes to all the different global events sponsored by Penn State and made her aware of different opportunities. She has also had the opportunity to continue fun GLOBE traditions in which residents can participate in, such as the Global Gameshow Night.
“One of my favorite activities from The GLOBE is Global Gameshow Night, which happens every year in the winter after break,” Farber said. “We make teams with people from the floor and compete with global trivia questions.”
Additionally, residents of The GLOBE also have the opportunity to learn from and mingle with international professionals participating in the Humphrey Fellowship program. The GLOBE hosts a dinner for residents and fellows, in which fellows share their professional and personal stories with the Scholars. Judy Jan, a first-year Scholar with plans to major in biochemistry and molecular biology, believes this event is one of the best ways to truly get to learn about different cultures.
“[The] Humphrey Fellows [event] is a chance for students to become educated about the different projects leaders and educators around the world are working on,” Jan said. “Through these types of events and more, The GLOBE encourages not only education, but also respectful deliberation on topics, allowing members to build interpersonal relationship skills and increased global awareness.”
Beyond the chance to attend a variety of events, residents also get to enjoy living in a renovated hall with spacious dorms, private bathrooms, numerous study halls and a kitchen. For many residents such as Sebastien Kraft, a first-year Scholar planning on focusing on broadcast journalism, the amenities only add to the sense of acceptance and global enthusiasm he receives from the other residents.
“Sometimes I help my GLOBE friends with their French homework, for I am a native French speaker and French was my first language,” Kraft said. “Other times, I learn bits of other languages such as Spanish and Hindi from other globally minded students. In addition, we don’t just share languages. On one occasion, my roommate held a GLOBE discussion pertaining to Chinese economics, and I learned numerous interesting new concepts! We definitely feed off of each other, which is fantastic.”
Easing the adjustment
For many Scholars, The GLOBE is more than just an Honors Special Living Option, especially for members of the Executive Board. Saksham Arora, the current Vice President and sophomore majoring in computer science, believes joining The GLOBE made the transition to college much easier for him.
“I applied to The GLOBE to be a part of the community that possesses the power and the knowledge to shape the world,” Arora said. “I decided to join The GLOBE to be a member of a bigger family away from home, to experience friendship with people from different corners of the world and to grow to be a better person.”
Those interested in becoming active members of The GLOBE must be Scholars in the Honors College and full time officially registered students at University Park. First-year students must go through a formal application process, while upperclassmen are able to register on a first-come, first-served basis. All applications for active membership will be processed by the Advisory Board to The GLOBE in the Schreyer Honors College.
For more information on how to apply, visit http://www.theglobe.psu.edu/.
About the Schreyer Honors College
The Schreyer Honors College promotes academic excellence with integrity, the building of a global perspective, and creation of opportunities for leadership and civic engagement. Schreyer Honors Scholars total more than 2,000 students at University Park and 20 Commonwealth Campuses. They represent the top 2 percent of students at Penn State who excel academically and lead on campus.